


Days of the Future, Nights of the Past.

by CupCakezys



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Arthur Knows About Merlin's Magic (Merlin), Episode Related, Episode: s05e13 The Diamond of the Day, Happy Ending, M/M, Prophetic Visions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-22
Updated: 2019-08-22
Packaged: 2020-09-23 18:08:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 787
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20344435
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CupCakezys/pseuds/CupCakezys
Summary: There was nothing left. Arthur was dead. Merlin had failed in his destiny.





	Days of the Future, Nights of the Past.

Merlin’s world had come to an end.

It was all he could think as he cradled Arthur in his arms, his body slack and completely, horribly still. There was no breath, no heartbeat, he’d checked, over and over and over, and no amount of praying and begging changed that fact.

_Please, _he’d begged, still, as fruitless as he knew it was. _Please no. Please don’t take him from me, please don’t let me fail him now, not after everything. Please, no. _

Arthur stayed silent and still in his arms, his final thank you beating around Merlin’s mind like a drum, and he knew what those words really meant, because Arthur had thanked him before but never like this. Never in that tone, with his hand in Merlin’s hair and his eyes open and loving.

_I love you_, Arthur had said, and then he was gone before Merlin could say it back.

Everything in Merlin rebelled at the thought that Arthur was dead. That he was gone, completely and forever, from this world. His magic roared at the thought, and he clung to the idea that the Sidhe could help them, could bring his King back.

He roared at the sky, the command all but flying off his tongue in his desperation.

_O drakon! E male so ftengometta tesd'hup'anankes!_

He could feel Arthur getting colder as the seconds passed, could see him getting paler. _Pale as the dead. _He clung to him, to his King and his hope, all but crushing Arthur’s face to his chest as he desperately watched the sky.

Finally, _finally_, the beating of wings reached his ears, and his heart leaped. Kilgharrah’s shadow appeared above the clouds, and Merlin cradled Arthur’s cheek in his palm, loving as Kilgharrah dived-

He woke with a shout. Sweat ran down his back and dropped into his eyes, making him shiver in the cold of the room. He coughed, gooseflesh raising instantly up and down his arms. Panic clawed at his throat, making his breaths come in short little gasps, as memories forced their way to the surface and made him watch, helpless, as his other half died in his arms-

“Merlin?”

A hand ran up his back, making him shiver again, and then arms wrapped around his waist and pulled him back until a head of golden hair was laid in his lap, a royal nose pressed into the bare skin of his stomach. Merlin’s hands found the gold locks and stayed there, his whole body shaking as he tried to focus.

“It’s alright, you’re alright,” Arthur whispered, hand soothingly running up and down his back. “I’m safe, Camelot’s safe. It was just a nightmare.”

Merlin was shaking, and he only noticed because Arthur was holding him so tightly. Arthur. Warm, real, _alive_ Arthur. As he should be, and as Merlin would make sure he stayed. They weren’t memories, but-

“Not just a nightmare,” He croaked, because he knew it was true. “A vision.”

Arthur tensed, all sleepiness gone. “Like Morgana?”

Merlin swallowed, nodded. It didn’t happen often, and the last time it had he’d been nothing but a child, spurting prophesies about dragons and castles, but he knew this feeling. He could feel it in his bones, in the magic buzzing in his veins. What he had dreamed had been real, had been a very possible future.

“You _died_,” he choked, and Arthur made a small noise in the back of his throat. “You died, and there was nothing I could do to help you. I was useless.”

Arthur grunted. Merlin felt the covers shift, and then Arthur’s head was pulled back and Merlin lost his grip on his hair. He mourned the loss for only a moment before he was pulled back against Arthur’s chest, and he could feel his heartbeat as steady as a drum. He relaxed back into Arthur’s warmth, and a hand intertwined with his across his hips.

“I’m right here,” Arthur murmured in his ear. “And I’m not going anywhere. We’ll talk to Gaius in the morning, see what he thinks of it. For now, we need to sleep.”

Merlin huffed, quietly, but he knew Arthur was right. Their chambers were still dark, the fire long gone out and the sun still nowhere close to rising. He sighed and let Arthur lay them both down onto the pillows. He stayed snuggly pressed against Arthur’s chest, a strong arm around his waist.

“I’ll guard you from nightmares,” Arthur whispered into his hair.

Merlin managed a snort. “I thought I was the one with magic here?”

Arthur hummed. “I don’t need magic.”

Merlin smiled. No, no he didn’t.

He drifted off, into a dream of sunshine lighting up a crown of golden hair.


End file.
